WTT Safety Procedures 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of a 'buddy system' during wind turbine maintenance operations?
- To reduce individual workload
- To ensure one person monitors safety while the other works (Correct answer)
- To comply with union agreements
- To share tools more efficiently
Correct answer: To ensure one person monitors safety while the other works
The buddy system ensures a second person monitors conditions and can summon help if the working technician is incapacitated.
Question 2: Which color of safety tag on a wind turbine component typically indicates 'Do Not Operate'?
- Green
- Yellow
- Red (Correct answer)
- Blue
Correct answer: Red
Red tags universally indicate 'Do Not Operate' or danger conditions that prohibit equipment use until cleared.
Question 3: A technician discovers an unlabeled drum of liquid near the tower base. The safest first step is to:
- Open the drum to identify contents by smell
- Move it away from the tower and continue work
- Treat it as hazardous and notify the site safety officer (Correct answer)
- Check the previous shift logbook
Correct answer: Treat it as hazardous and notify the site safety officer
Unidentified substances must always be treated as hazardous until confirmed otherwise, and the safety officer must be notified immediately.
Question 4: How often must a personal fall arrest system harness be formally inspected by a competent person?
- Monthly
- Before each use and annually by a competent person (Correct answer)
- Only after a fall event
- Every six months
Correct answer: Before each use and annually by a competent person
ANSI/ASSE Z359 requires pre-use inspection before every use plus an annual formal inspection by a competent person.
Question 5: When ascending a wind turbine tower ladder equipped with a fall arrest cable, the carabiner must be connected to the cable:
- Only at the top of the climb
- Before leaving the ground and kept connected throughout the climb (Correct answer)
- Every 50 feet as a new anchor
- Only when climbing above 100 feet
Correct answer: Before leaving the ground and kept connected throughout the climb
The carabiner must be attached to the fall arrest cable before leaving the ground and must remain connected throughout the entire climb.
Question 6: What action must be taken if a technician's safety harness has been subjected to fall arrest forces?
- Inspect it and return to service if undamaged
- Retire it from service immediately and tag it out (Correct answer)
- Dry it out and re-inspect within 24 hours
- Report the fall and continue using the harness
Correct answer: Retire it from service immediately and tag it out
Any harness subjected to fall arrest forces must be immediately removed from service because internal damage may not be visible.
Question 7: Which type of fire extinguisher is appropriate for a Class C electrical fire inside a wind turbine nacelle?
- Class A water extinguisher
- Class B foam extinguisher
- Class C CO2 or dry chemical extinguisher (Correct answer)
- Class D powder extinguisher
Correct answer: Class C CO2 or dry chemical extinguisher
Class C fires involve energized electrical equipment and require CO2 or dry chemical extinguishers that are non-conductive.
WTT Safety Procedures 3
What is the purpose of a 'buddy system' during wind turbine maintenance operations?